Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The David Pfeiffer Memorial Disability Pride & Studies Library

The Center on Disability Studies recently celebrated the dedication of the David Pfeiffer Deaf Pride Memorial Library here at the Manoa campus. Dr. Pfeiffer (1934–2003) was resident scholar at CDS and the driving force behind the International Review of Disability Studies, now in its 6th year of publication. The collection was founded on his manuscripts and books, gifted by his wife Barbara Pfeiffer.

On June 28, we celebrated his legacy by blessing and officially opening the library for use by students, faculty, and the community. In Hawaiian fashion, the doorway of the library was draped with maile lei. The premises were blessed by Kahu (Pastor) William Kaina. The traditional blessing extended to the land ('aina), the building, the collection, those who contributed materials, those who maintain them, and those who glean knowledge from them. We remembered Dr. Pfeiffer's generous spirit and his dedication to social justice. Dr. Pfeiffer's widow Barbara, daughter Carol, and grandson Peter untied the lei and welcomed everyone in. The library was decorated with tropical ginger flowers, birds of paradise, and sweet maile--local cuttings that were colorful and delicately fragrant. After the opening, we shared a meal in Dr. Pfeiffer's honor. We hope the library will be a lasting home for his memory and scholarship.The library space was established by CDS's talented Velina Sugiyama, who also found appropriate software and set up the lending system. Library holdings, now numbering over 600 items, were cataloged over the last year by Velina and her assistant Courtney. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication to this project. As a result, all are welcome to browse the library's holdings and borrow materials. To access the collection, either in person or virtually, contact Velina at velina@hawaii.edu or 808-956-5688.

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